(Economist-UK) The tunnels that snake under Gaza's border with Egypt have multiplied so fast that supply sometimes exceeds demand. So stiff is commercial competition that tunnel-diggers complain that their work is no longer profitable. Cement, which cost 300 Israeli shekels ($80) a sack two years ago, has dropped almost tenfold in price, precipitating a spate of building. Eyewitnesses say that flashy 4x4 vehicles can actually drive through tunnels. Some economists say Gaza is growing faster than the West Bank run by the rival Palestinian Authority, albeit from a far lower base. The petrol pumped into Gaza by underground pipes from Egypt costs a third of what it does in Ramallah, the Palestinians' West Bank capital. As well as lower prices, Gazans benefit from civil-service payrolls. The UN employs 10,000 Gazans, and Salam Fayyad's West Bank government is the largest employer of all.
2010-04-01 07:27:55Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive